 Vox populi On October 14, Australians will vote in a referendum on whether to reform their constitution to enshrine an “Aboriginal Voice” in Parliament. The campaign has been controversial. That is, the Australian-Jewish writer Misha Saul argues, because its whole premise is confused: The vote is being sold as “a way to improve the miserable lot of Australian Aborigines,” but the problems facing Aboriginal populations are so profound that Australians find it hard to believe that a change to the constitution is likely to make any difference. What the referendum is really about, he says, is sovereignty for the Aboriginal people. “Aboriginal leaders seek self-government,” says Saul. “This isn’t a secret. Aborigines were here first. The British came and claimed this land … and the first peoples are left on the destitute fringes.” Instead of the Voice, a mere “race-based committee as an appendage to Australia’s constitution,” Australian Aborigines should take the Jews’ example, and call for an actual nation: “Where is the Aboriginal nationalist ready to build the Aboriginal Israel?” Vax unpopuli Vaccines were never uncontroversial. But up until the pandemic they didn’t occupy quite so much of the public conversation as they do now. People who aren’t familiar with how vaccines work might be forgiven for finding all the headlines a bit alarming — especially if they’re pregnant, or have a young child, and are trying to work out what’s best. Routine childhood vaccinations “have been standard, in many cases, for decades [and] saved literally thousands, perhaps millions, of lives,” says Emily Oster, a data-led parenting expert. “And, yes, they still make some people nervous.” She talks through whether it’s worth getting vaccines in pregnancy, to pass on antibodies and to protect the mother, and which vaccines are most important to get for your young children. Primary colors There’s some talk in Democratic circles of a primary challenge to Joe Biden. An outlier poll suggested he was running behind Donald Trump, and people are worried about his age: He’d be 86 at the end of his second term. But, the political analyst Nate Silver argues, a challenge is probably a bad idea. Incumbent presidents who have faced primary challenges tend to lose. That’s not necessarily a sign that the challenge causes the loss: Presidents are more likely to face a challenge if they’re losing. But the media storm, and the lack of time to vet and select suitable challengers, make it a bad idea — especially since the challenge would probably fail, leaving Biden still the nominee but more damaged. “Biden may or may not be the best choice,” says Silver, “but at this point the Democrats’ choice has largely already been made.” |
